Threads of the Silk Road

The romance and influence of the legendary Silk Road has been a subject of centuries of fascination, from the medieval account of Marco Polo’s travel to cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s contemporary Silk Road Project. This vast 7000-mile network of trade routes from China to the Mediterranean existed for almost 2000 years, opening the Far East to European lands. It was a conduit for cultural, economic and technological exchange, representing the earliest form of globalization.

This collection of evocative photographs depicts surviving remnants of the historic Silk Road and ancestors of the civilization along its route. Themes of travel, trade and tribes are evidence today of the Silk Road’s ancient past. Colorful, ceremonial hats, traditional head coverings and travelling gear accompany the exhibit.

Photographer Edgar Gomez traveled to countries along the Silk Road while conducting research projects in his work as the international director of a Utah biotechnology company. His photographs have been featured in Newsweek and Current Biology and in exhibits in the United States and Central Asia.

Exhibit Sponsor

Zions Bank is the oldest financial institution in Utah with a long tradition of supporting the arts throughout the state.

Press Coverage

Here’s a story from a news outlet in China about this exhibition. A link to the story in Chinese follows; below that is the news outlet’s English translation.

Reporters learned from the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, March 5, by the Utah Arts Council and the Utah – Qinghai Alliance sponsored a Silk Road Photographic Art exhibit in Heber City, Utah.

The exhibit is a celebration of the 35th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations and China-US Qinghai Province, part of the 2014 Sino-US Utah State Provincial Sustainable Development Award. The show is designed to introduce to the American public about to the historical significance of the Silk Road, cultural heritage, customs, achievements in economic and social development, and promote the cultural understanding and cultural exchanges.